Alessandro Pinheiro Martins, nicknamed Alessandro (1983 — December 6, 2005) was a Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian football (soccer)

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 player. He was born in São Luís

São Luís, Maranhão

São Luís is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Maranhão. The city is located on Ilha de São Luís in the Baía de São Marcos , an extension of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the estuary of Pindaré, Mearim, Itapecuru and other rivers. Its coordinates are 2.53° south, 44.30° west...

, Maranhão

Maranhão

Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...

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He played as a defensive midfielder for Ferroviário

Ferroviário Atlético Clube

Ferroviário Atlético Clube, or Ferroviário as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Fortaleza in Ceará, founded on May 9, 1933...

, of Fortaleza

Fortaleza

Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...

, Ceará

Ceará

Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...

 since 2004. He has also played for Santos

Santos Futebol Clube

Santos Futebol Clube is a Brazilian professional football club based in Santos, São Paulo They play in the Campeonato Paulista and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the highest professional leagues in São Paulo state and Brazil, respectively....

, alongside Robinho

Robinho

Robson de Souza , more commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who currently plays as second striker and winger for Serie A club AC Milan...

, URT

União Recreativa dos Trabalhadores

União Recreativa dos Trabalhadores, commonly known as URT, is a Brazilian football club based in Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais state. They competed in the Copa do Brasil three times.-History:...

, Mamoré

Esporte Clube Mamoré

Esporte Clube Mamoré is a Brazilian football team, from the city of Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais.-History:On June 13, 1949, Esporte Clube Mamoré was founded.In 2001, the club disputed the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, being eliminated in the first stage....

, Campinense

Campinense Clube

Campinense Clube, usually known simply as Campinense, is a Brazilian football club from Campina Grande, Paraíba state. The club finished as the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B runner-up in 1972, and has also competed in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A several times.-History:The club was founded on...

, and Boa Viagem

Boa Viagem Esporte Clube

Boa Viagem Esporte Clube, commonly known as Boa Viagem, is a Brazilian football club based in Boa Viagem, Ceará state.-History:The club was founded on December 22, 1999...

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He died on December 6, 2005, of a heart attack

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

, after a physical indisposition followed by a faint, during a training at Vila Olímpica Elzir Cabral. He had suffered from similar health problems during other trainings sessions, a week before his death.

He played his last match in November, against Ferroviário's rival Ceará

Ceará Sporting Club

Ceará Sporting Club, or Ceará as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Fortaleza in Ceará, founded on June 2, 1914....

 at Estádio Presidente Vargas

Estádio Presidente Vargas (Ceará)

The Estádio Presidente Vargas, nicknamed PV, is a football stadium located in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of América Football Club , Fortaleza Esporte Clube, Ceará Sporting Club, Ferroviário Atlético Clube and Associação...

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He left a wife and two children, and was buried in São Luís.